Management’s Discussion and Analysis | SECTION ONE 6

PERFORMANCE &

ACCOUNTABILITY HIGHLIGHTS

Architect of the Capitol • Fiscal Year 2021

SERVE | PRESERVE | INSPIRE
FISCAL YEAR 2021

Performance and Accountability Highlights 

About the Architect of the Capitol 

Who We Are: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is responsible for the 

care and operation of the Capitol campus, which includes more than 

18.4 million square feet of facilities, more than 570 acres of grounds 

and thousands of works of art. The AOC’s employees work behind 

the scenes day and night to provide Congress and the Supreme 

Court with facilities and infrastructure to conduct their business. 

We inspire the public by providing tours, online programming and 

exhibits of the U.S. Capitol, the surrounding grounds and the U.S. 

Botanic Garden.

Established: The AOC traces its beginnings to 1793 and was formally 

established by congressional legislation in 1876

Branch of Government: Legislative

Leadership: J. Brett Blanton, Architect of the Capitol

Number of Permanent Employees: 2,249 as of September 30, 2021

FY 2021 Budget Authority: $1.008 billion (including $321.9 million 

in emergency security supplemental funding)

Mission: Serve Congress and the Supreme Court, preserve America’s 

Capitol and inspire memorable experiences

DID YOU KNOW?

The AOC serves as steward for the U.S. Capitol 

Building, the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, the House 

and Senate office buildings, the Library of Congress 

buildings, the Supreme Court of the United States, 

the U.S. Botanic Garden, the Capitol Power Plant 

 and other surrounding grounds and facilities. The 

major facilities on the Capitol campus that fall 

under the AOC’s care are depicted in Figure 1. 

A virtual tour of the Capitol campus is available at: 

www.capitol.gov.

To learn more about the AOC, watch our video, “We Are AOC”: 

www.aoc.gov/about-us/who-we-are.

F IGUR E 1

Map of the U.S. Capitol Campus

ARCHITECT of the CAPITOL | 2021 Performance and Accountability Highlights

1
Performance Results in Brief 

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, the AOC tracked progress toward four 

strategic goals:

1. Maintain Awe-Inspiring Facilities

2. Provide Extraordinary Services 

3. Foster an Innovative and Empowered Workforce

4. Operate as One Team, Dedicated to One Mission

Eight strategic objectives and 19 key performance indicators (KPI) 

support the goals. The high-level KPIs, summarized in Table 1, measure 

the agency’s most critical actions taken in line with the Strategic Plan.

In October 2020, the AOC added seven additional initiatives to 

its FY 2021 Performance Plan. These new Architect's Strategic 

Initiatives (ASI) include:

 Reorganization: Building a structure to support the AOC’s people 

and mission

 AOC University: Training for the future

 Building Official: Keeping agency staff and customers safe

 Cultural Behaviors Transformation: Strengthening the AOC’s values

 Enterprise Asset Management: Providing the tools to track and 

maintain current assets and plan for future needs

 Human Capital Strategy: Attracting and incentivizing the best 

possible workforce

 Vision 2100 Master and Strategic Plans: Building a legacy

TABLE 1

Summary of High-Level Key Performance Indicators 

H I G H - L E V E L K E Y 

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR

FY 2020

Target

FY 2020

Actual

FY 2020

Results

FY 2021

Target

FY 2021

Actual

FY 2021

Results

STRATEGIC GOAL : Maintain Awe-Inspiring Facilities

Reduce Cumulative Energy Intensity Use. Decrease campuswide 

energy consumption through efficient utility usage. ≥ 40.0% 50.8% Met ≥ 42.0% 48.8% Met

Facility Condition Index. Reduce the percent of the AOC major 

buildings in poor or fair condition. ≤ 44.4% 48.1% Not Met ≤ 48.1% 55.6% Not Met

STRATEGIC GOAL: Provide Extraordinary Services

Customer Satisfaction with Projects. Maintain high customer 

satisfaction with projects. ≥ 90.0% 95.0% Met ≥ 90.0% 94.9% Met

Tenant Survey. Measure how well the AOC provides services to its 

facility occupants. N/A N/A Not 

Applicable ≥ 90.0% 79.0% Not Met

STRATEGIC GOAL: Foster an Innovative and Empowered Workforce

External Safety Inspection Findings. Reduce the safety findings 

identified by the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. < 1,162 1,492 Not Met < 1,247 2,050 Not Met

Injuries and Illnesses Rate. Reduce the annual injuries and 

illnesses rate. ≤ 2.23% 1.67% Met ≤ 1.67% 1.62% Met

STRATEGIC GOAL: Operate as One Team, Dedicated to One Mission

No FY 2021 KPIs are aligned with this strategic goal.

Strict adherence to pandemic safety protocols has allowed the agency to 

continue to meet its mission while ensuring the safety of its employees 

and the staff working on the Capitol campus.

View the AOC’s FY 2021 Highlights video: 

www.aoc.gov/PAR.

2
Financial Results in Brief

As evidence of our commitment to financial accountability and 

transparency, in FY 2021 the AOC:

 Received its 17th consecutive unmodified (clean) audit opinion 

on its financial statements

 Received its 10th consecutive Certificate of Excellence in 

Accountability Reporting (CEAR) award from the Association of 

Government Accountants (AGA)

 Prioritized the AOC’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts by ensuring funds 

were available for personal protective equipment and cleaning 

supplies, while supporting the development of COVID-19 impact 

reports and dashboards to facilitate Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 

Economic Security Act (CARES Act) compliance

 Deployed multiple financial system updates, including the 

upgrade of its core financial management system (Momentum®) 

and its inventory management software (Maximo®); both the 

Momentum® and Maximo® systems migrated their data center to 

the Microsoft® Azure cloud

T A BLE 2

Select Financial and Related Nonfinancial Data ($ in millions) 

 FY 2021 FY 2020 PERCENT 

CHANGE

Total Assets $3,825.5 $3,498.7 9%

Total Liabilities $452.2 $403.7 12%

Total Net Position $3,373.3 $3,095.0 9%

Total Revenues $76.9 $86.8 (11%)

Total Net Cost of Operations $755.7 $627.3 20%

Total Appropriations (per 

Statement of Budgetary 

Resources)

 $1,007.6 $728.5 38%

Facility Space Managed 

(square feet)

More than 18.4 

million

More than 18.4 

million -%

Grounds Managed (acres) More than 570 More than 570 -%

Permanent Employees at 

Fiscal Year-End 2,249 2,251 -%

T A BLE 3

Independent Auditor’s Internal Control Findings 

CATEGORY FY 2021 FY 2020

Material Weaknesses

Control Gap Identified for 

Retrospective Reviews 

of Estimates

None

Significant Deficiencies None None

FIGU R E 3

Summary of Total Liabilities

F IGU R E 4

Trend in Total Appropriations

 

 

In FY 2021, the AOC’s appropriations included $321.9 million of 

supplemental funding for security upgrades following the events 

of January 6, 2021, ($300 million) and to respond to the COVID-19 

pandemic ($21.9 million).

As of September 30, 2021, the AOC’s environmental and disposal 

liabilities amounted to $179 million (near 40 percent of total 

liabilities), an increase of $100 million over FY 2020 due to 

increased asbestos abatement costs and agency estimation 

methodology changes.

FIGU R E 2

Summary of Total Assets

As of September 30, 2021, the AOC’s property, plant and 

equipment (net of depreciation) represented two-thirds of the 

agency’s total assets.

2021 Performance and Accountability Highlights | ARCHITECT of the CAPITOL

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Forward-Looking Information in Brief 

The AOC has identified the following as the agency’s most 

significant challenges for FY 2022 and beyond:

Backlog in Deferred Maintenance and Capital Renewal Projects: 

Resource constraints have deferred maintenance and delayed 

important capital renewal work, causing increasing deterioration 

of buildings and grounds. Significant investments are needed for 

preservation and to ensure the future safety of building occupants 

and visitors. As of September 30, 2021, the AOC estimated the 

backlog at $2.05 billion.

Campus Security: The AOC is responsible for supporting the U.S. 

Capitol Police and providing physical security infrastructure around 

the Capitol campus. The AOC continues to focus on meeting security 

and safety requirements while also ensuring that preservation and 

accessibility needs are met.

Cybersecurity: The security of information systems and data is one 

of the largest challenges that federal agencies face. The AOC is not 

an exception and its various information systems are vital to the 

continuity of AOC operations.

Energy Stewardship and Sustainability: The AOC strives to 

maximize energy savings throughout the Capitol campus and in all 

its improvement projects. Although the AOC’s facilities are largely 

composed of historic buildings that were not built to modern 

energy usage standards, the AOC has focused on improving their 

energy conservation capabilities.

Management of Concurrent Construction Projects: The AOC is 

concurrently undertaking multiple major construction, renewal 

and restoration projects. The AOC must ensure that each project is 

delivered safely, remains on time and within budget, and is of the 

highest possible quality, while creating minimal disruptions to the 

agency’s clients.

Attracting, Developing and Retaining a Skilled and Engaged 

Workforce: The AOC requires a skilled, specialized and engaged 

workforce to achieve its mission and deliver services to stakeholders. 

The AOC’s Human Capital Strategy includes efforts to attract, 

develop and retain talented staff.

Workplace Safety and Health: The AOC is responsible for ensuring 

that safety and health standards are met for those who work at 

or visit the Capitol campus. The AOC does this while addressing 

operational needs, applicable regulations, and unique and 

challenging working conditions.

The AOC’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) identified additional 

management opportunities and performance challenges facing 

the organization: auditability and records retention, whistleblower 

protections, working capital fund, and waste and accountability.

The Russell Senate Office Building is undergoing a multiphase restoration to preserve the exterior stonework of the historic building. The AOC’s backlog in deferred 

maintenance and capital renewal projects are among the most significant challenges identified in this year’s Performance and Accountability Report. 

The AOC Performance and Accountability Highlights provides a 

summary of the AOC’s FY 2021 Performance and Accountability 

Report, following the Citizen-Centric Reporting model 

established by the Association 

of Government Accountants 

(AGA). The full report is available 

online at: www.aoc.gov/par. 

Please send any questions or 

comments to aocpar@aoc.gov.

For more information about the 

AOC, visit our website at: 

www.aoc.gov.

This report is issued with data 

as of June 16, 2022.

Architect of the Capitol 

ARCHITECT of the CAPITOL | 2021 Performance and Accountability Highlights

4
U.S. Capitol | Washington, DC 20515

www.aoc.gov